Welcome to your third year clerkship in Surgery. We hope that you will find the rotation interesting, challenging, inspiring, but most of all educational and fun. The clerkship is designed to provide you with a solid foundation in surgery and some of the specialties of surgery. We hope to provide this through a series of lectures, Socratic Rounds, case presentations and standardized patient exercises.
We feel that it is a privilege to be surgeons. Our patients are often at their most vulnerable as they are about to face surgery. This can be a particularly frightening and anxiety-provoking time. They are literally "putting their lives in our hands" as we perform some invasive procedures. Therefore, we never take likely the responsibility that is given to us.
As third year students, we want you to become integral members of the surgical team. We, the faculty and residents, will come to rely on you to provide care for these patients and at the same time, you will learn from them. You will also have more time to spend with patients than other members of the team. This is a very unique position that you might not have again, to truly get to know your patients well. It is not uncommon that patients often call the student, "the doctor".
We want to stress that we are your advocates and that you can address any concerns with us that might arise during the clerkship. We want you to take a very active role in your own education. Good luck!
Juliet Lee, M.D.
Director